Makeup 101 with Marcelle

Last week, I got to take part in a special blogger breakfast at Birchbox’s new Soho store. Birchbox is a brand that treats bloggers well, and there are a ton of amazing opportunities that are offered to members of the #Birchbloggers network. This was the first one I was chosen for in a while, and I was super excited to learn all about (new-to-me brand) Marcelle Cosmetics.

Marcelle is based in Quebec, but they were founded in Chicago in 1874. All of their products are hypo-allergenic and perfume free, and they pride themselves on being a pioneer in the cosmetics industry. Marcelle’s BB cream is one of the bestsellers in the Birchbox store, and they have a great selection of affordable, innovative products (perfect example: a retractable eyeliner with a built-in sharpener and smudging sponge).

Makeup artist, Catherine Laniel, put some of these products to work and created a gorgeous daytime look on Birchbox staffer, Christine. As Catherine worked, she offered makeup application tips and answered questions. A few highlights:

When applying concealer with a rollerball applicator, roll out from the inner corner of the eye first, and then again from halfway under the eye. This puts pressure on different sections of your under-eye area, and lets the rollerball do its work.
Use 30-40% more eyeliner than you think you’ll want. This will allow you to blend without losing too much product.
Apply powder under your eyes after eyeliner to prevent unwanted smudging/running. Use a brush with light pressure and press in the powder on top of liner. Loose powder is preferable, but pressed works too.

After our makeup lesson, we got to play mixologist at the lip gloss bar. It was so fun to choose our own colors, finishes and special effects…and see what the finish product looked like, right on the spot! The gloss is semi-sheer and adds the perfect lightweight tint to lips!